


Camellias and Confessions

by Katyakora



Series: Killerwave Week [12]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, F/M, KillerWaveWeek2016, Language of Flowers, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 05:17:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7346614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katyakora/pseuds/Katyakora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caitlin's been a little distracted lately. It's just her luck that her own personal distraction walked through her door on the busiest day of the year, with a rather strange request.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Camellias and Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> For Killerwave Week 2 Day 5 - Holidays
> 
> This is Part 2 of my Tattoo Parlour/Flower Shop AU, following Sweet Peas & Smoke
> 
> Full credit for the bouquet and the initial idea goes to this post: http://nixhil.tumblr.com/post/145903185509/flower-shop-au
> 
> Also I know nothing about running a flower shop.

Caitlin wasn’t much of a fan of Valentine’s Day. It was certainly good for business, as any florist could attest, but for a young widow it wasn’t the happiest of days. Even two years on, it still hurt to have one’s loneliness shoved in one’s face. At least the Valentine’s Day rush of anxious and hopeful partners helped keep her mind occupied. Maybe it would even be enough to keep her mind from wandering into memories of big, gentle hands resting on her back, of a low, husky rumble soothing her nerves. She couldn’t afford to be as distracted as she had been this last week, ever since she’d let herself get talked into a tattoo by a dangerously handsome tattoo artist. Iris, Cisco and Barry had been giving her strange looks all week, each individually cornering her to ask what was on her mind. She’d waved them off, just told them she was stressed with Valentine’s Day prep. She didn’t know what she was going to tell them after today.

 

This year began like any other, arriving before dawn to make sure all the orders were ready in time for when Barry showed up to do the deliveries and all the decorations and displays were completed before opening.There was a line already forming outside when Wally and Iris showed up for work, forcing them to elbow their way to the front. With their help, Caitlin was able to finish getting set up pretty quickly, and was kind enough to open her doors half an hour before she usually opened, taking pity on the anxious souls waiting out in the chilly february air. Between a veritable stampede of customers and helping Wally, who’d only started working there part-time a few weeks ago, Caitlin barely noticed the time passing. 

 

Even as busy as it was, Caitlin heard the heavy stomping from where she was making bouquets in the back. Curious, she went to look, stepping out just in time to see the intimidating figure of the handsome tattooist slapping some money down on the counter in front of a very startled Wally.

 

“How do I passive-aggressively say ‘Fuck you’ in flower?” He probably didn’t mean to appear so menacing, but with his build and tattoos, it was hard not to. Poor Wally was stammering out his confusion when Iris came to his rescue.

 

“Hey, can’t you see there’s a queue?” Iris demanded, gesturing to the crowd of obviously peeved customers. He frowned at her then back at the other people, as though only just noticing they were there.

 

“Don’t worry about it, Iris,” Caitlin interceded, feeling a little breathless. “He’s a friend.” Her employee’s eyebrows jumped in surprise, which made sense since Iris knew all her friends. Caitlin ignored her, giving Mick her attention. “Come on out back, I’ll see what I can put together.”

 

“Sorry,” he said a little sheepishly once they were alone in the workshop, looking starkly out of place among the roses and orchids. “I wasn’t thinking.”

 

“It’s ok, everyone who comes in here today is wound pretty tight,” she accepted with a shrug. “Now, did I hear correctly in that you want…?”

 

“To say ‘Fuck you’ with flowers?” he supplied, a sheepish smile quirking his lips. “Yeah.” He raised one hand to rub the back of his neck and Caitlin couldn’t help but trace the intricate tattoos decorating his impressive biceps with her eyes. She had to force herself not to blush when her traitorous brain decided to wonder just how much of him was covered in ink.

 

“Well, if you’re sure, I might have a few ideas.” Her voice came out a little huskier than usual and she had to clear her throat awkwardly. She felt oddly self-conscious, having him here. His parlour next door had been lovingly decorated to match the personality of him and his staff; Caitlin was suddenly overly aware of the leaf litter on the floor and the precarious stack of boxes full of packaging leaning by the back door, not to mention her own messy ponytail and dirty-dusted apron. “Let’s start with yellow carnations, for disappointment and rejection?” She held out the flower in question for him to see.

 

“Perfect,” he said with a grin, the rumbling purr of his voice sending sparks up her spine. She scrutinised him, resolutely ignoring her jumping pulse.

 

“Just how much do you want to insult this person?”

 

“As much as florally possible.” His wicked smile was a little evil yet still boyish and utterly charming.

 

“Well, alright then. How about…” she paused, expert eyes running over her stock. “Orange lillies, for hatred? Oh, and geraniums, for stupidity.”

 

“And here I thought flowers would mean nice things,” he commented dryly.

 

She snorted, gathering the flowers she’d suggested. “You’d be surprised. I have to stop myself from laughing whenever I get asked for bouquets with foxgloves in them. Insincerity,” she added in response to his raised eyebrow. “That’s a good one actually. Pink, to go with the theme we’ve got going.” She added the foxgloves to the almost eye-searingly vibrant bouquet she was forming. “Hmm, maybe that’s a bit much...ooh, meadowsweet, for uselessness. The white will offset the colours nicely.” She’d gotten a little caught up in her creation, and when she looked up to see if he approved, she found him watching her, his bright eyes burning in contrast to his almost dazed expression. 

 

“You really love this stuff, don’t you?” 

 

“Well, yeah,” she responded with a little shrug, cursing her pale skin because she could feel herself blushing again. “I’ve always had a gift with plants. My aunt used to say I could make stones grow if I tried. And I know it probably seems stupid and girly, but I like making pretty things.”

 

“Who cares if it’s girly? I like making pretty things too.”

 

“Well, you certainly succeeded there,” she conceded with a warm smile, one hand drifting to rest on the shoulder that sported his handiwork. His eyes tracked the movement.

 

“Would it be ok if... do mind if I see it?” he asked a little hesitantly, gesturing where her hand rested.

 

“Oh! Uh, sure, if you want. It’s healing up pretty nicely.” She set down the bouquet and took off her apron, pulling the stretchy material of her top down and turning so he could see. She felt him move, the ghost of his presence warming her back. A gentle hand brushed her hair to one side, and she suppressed a shiver. 

 

“Yeah...it’s healing really well…” he murmured softly, the barest touch of his fingertips running over skin that had been an angry red a few days ago. They seemed to be locked in a moment, neither moving for fear of spooking the other. There was no telling how long they might have stood there, wrapped in heavy tension, but life refused to let them stay lost together forever.

 

A crash from the front of the shop broke the tension like a bucket of ice water. It was still one of the busiest days of her year, and it wasn’t really Valentine’s Day until a vase was broken. Hastily, she reset her clothing and pulled her apron back on.

 

“I should probably get back to work,” she stated apologetically, gathering the bouquet she’d made. “Let me just wrap this for you.” 

 

He didn’t respond, just watched as she made the garish bouquet presentable and pressed it into his hands.

 

“Thanks. I’ll probably get my ass kicked for it, but it’ll be worth it to see her face when I tell her what it means.”

 

“Well, you look like you can handle getting your ass kicked,” Caitlin observed, feeling an unexpected stab of jealousy towards whoever he was buying flowers for, despite the fact that is was essential a floral middle finger.

 

“I think I’ll survive,” he said with a snort as they both stepped into the front of the shop. “Good luck with the chaos.”

 

“Thanks, I’ll need it.” 

 

He waved goodbye with bouquet in hand, a sweet smile on his face that seemed to be just for her. She waved back, knowing she was smiling like a fool. She turned around to see her employees standing there staring at her, rather than serving customers like they were being paid to. Before the inevitable interrogation could begin, Caitlin shot them both a pointed look and turned to the customer at the head of the line to serve them, sending her staff back into a scurry of activity with sheepish looks. She managed to embroil herself in customer service for the rest of the day, solely to avoid answering any questions about Mick. She had a feeling she hardly knew the answers herself. 

 

By the time her shift ended, Iris was onto her game, and simply informed Caitlin that she couldn’t run forever as she walked out the door. Caitlin loved her friends, but just this once wished they weren’t so nosy. Cisco and Jesse, arriving to relieve Iris and Wally, looked on in confusion, prompting Wally to tell them to ask Caitlin about her scary tattooed ‘friend’. Caitlin scowled at him and half-heartedly threatened to dock his paycheck. She would never, but Wally was still new and not used to the idea of her being his boss, and promptly made himself scarce. Luckily, Jesse wasn’t all that interested in gossip, and Cisco was easily sidetracked. He’d probably completely forgotten about it by the end of the day.

 

Caitlin let Jesse leave early, knowing she had a date with Wally to get ready for, so it was early evening by the time she and Cisco actually finished closing up and cleaning everything after the madness of their day. Caitlin would have been happy to go home and ignore the world in favour of chocolate and netflix, but once again, life had other ideas.

 

A young man in a blue studded leather trenchcoat was walking past the window with a milkshake in hand, when he suddenly did a double-take. Caitlin figured he’d somehow forgotten it was Valentine’s Day and the sight of her displays had sent him into a panic. She went back to her inventory, only looking up when the distinctive slurp of fluid being sucked through a straw reached her ears. She looked up to see the guy from before, standing in front of her and staring while drinking his milkshake, despite her prominent ‘Closed’ sign and the door Cisco was supposed to have locked.

 

“Um...we’re closed, sorry,” she told him a little uncertainly.

 

“You’re a florist.” He said it like it was some great revelation, and Caitlin side-eyed him.

 

“Yes…?”

 

“No, see, it all makes sense now!” he exclaimed happily. Stepping out of the workshop, Cisco startled and frowned at the guy, who kept talking like they knew what the hell he was doing there.

 

“See, it’s been real weird all week.” He hopped up onto the counter and Caitlin took a wary step back, but he just kept talking. “First, Mick has some mystery after-hours client, and he has  **rules**  about not doing that. Then, all week he’s been doodling pretty much the same thing, flowers, over and over, and he never does that. And Lisa’s been bugging him all day about buying her flowers, since he’s apparently into them at the moment, and he  _ actually did it _ . And then he was messin’ with her, saying it meant something in flower language but he wouldn't say what, and we’re all like, since when does Mick know flower language? But it makes sense now!” He grinned down at her triumphantly. “You’re the mystery after-hours client!”

 

Both Cisco and Caitlin blinked at him, slack-jawed.

 

“Please tell me you know what the hell he’s talking about?” Cisco finally asked Caitlin. She returned his confused look with a nervous, sheepish one, hunching into her shoulders a little as she confessed.

 

“I may have gotten a tattoo last week?”

 

“Caitlin!” he gasped, honestly shocked by her spontaneity and secrecy. “What-when-how? And why didn’t you tell me? I told you the second I got a tattoo! I could’ve been there for moral support.”

 

“I didn’t exactly plan it. I went over there to sort out a mail mix-up, we got to talking and the next thing I knew…” She trailed off, shrugging.

 

“I've been trying to talk you into getting one for years, and you spend five minutes with this guy and you're getting inked?” Cisco asked incredulously.

 

“He was very persuasive,” Caitlin defended, feeling her cheeks redden.

 

“Wait, is this the same guy Wally mentioned earlier? Your scary tattooed friend?”

 

“That sounds like Mick,” the stranger piped up, still sitting on her counter like he belonged there. “What'd you get?”

 

“Yes! Can I see it? Please, Caitlin, come on, I showed you mine,” Cisco implored.

 

“Yeah, show us!”

 

“First of all, i don't even know you,-”

 

“I'm Axel, I work for Mick next door.”

 

“And second,” Caitlin ignored the interruption. “You dropped your pants without warning the second you walked in the door so you could show  _ everyone  _ your tattoo.”

 

“Is it somewhere you can't show?" Cisco frowned, having completely missed the point. "Cause I'd settle for a photo, if you wanna-”

 

“Ugh, fine!” Caitlin threw her hands up, turned around and yanked her neckline down like she had for Mick.

 

“Aw man, that's so cool! Totally suits you.” Cisco gushed.

 

“Very nice,” Axel agreed sincerely. “ Definitely Mick's work, he's always working fire or smoke into his designs.”

 

Caitlin fixed her clothes and turned back around. “Actually, the concept was my idea.”

 

Axel blinked in surprise at that, looking her up and down as though he’d never seen her before. A gleeful grin split his face.

 

“Don't go anywhere,” he said, and then he was off out the door.

 

“What a weird dude,” Cisco commented as they watched the door slam in his wake.

 

In retrospect, it was at that point that they really should have locked the door, like Cisco was supposed to have done earlier. As it was, there was nothing to stop the sudden arrival of people a couple of minutes later. Axel was back, this time with a pretty brunette dressed in a leather jacket and jeans and a familiar, if a little battered, bouquet in her hands. They practically ran into the store, a murderous looking Mick not far behind them. The woman, whom Caitlin assumed to be Lisa, made a beeline for the counter, her eyes zeroed in on Caitlin.

 

“So  _ you're  _ the florist,” she stated with a smug smirk. “I see the resemblance.”

 

“Lisa…” Mick growled warningly behind her, his eyes flicking nervously between the two women.

 

“Hey, you're the one who refused to tell me what they meant, so really, you brought this on yourself,” Lisa snapped at him, before turning back to Caitlin with a sweet smile that would not have looked out of place on a snake. “Apparently, you made this. Mind telling me what it means?”

 

Caitlin clamped down on a near hysterical giggle, her evening having taken a decidedly odd turn. “I plead the fifth.”

 

“Wait, you made that on  _ purpose?”  _ Cisco couldn't help but ask with an incredulous snort. Despite the fact he only worked in a flower shop to pay the bills while he was studying, Cisco was the only one of her friends intrigued enough by flower language to learn it. Lisa's eyes snapped to him and her whole demeanor changed.

 

“Hi there, Cutie,” she purred. “Think you could help a girl out and tell me what this means?”

 

“I would love to, really,” Cisco answered, weakened by the pretty girl batting her eyelashes at him. “But I'm pretty sure that guy,” he pointed at Mick, scowling behind Lisa, “will strangle me if I do.”

 

“Ignore him, Mick's all bark. Mostly.”

 

“I asked for the most insulting bouquet they could make,” Mick grumbled, finally relenting.

 

“It's actually kind of brilliant. The next time I wanna tell someone to go fuck themselves but can't, I'm sending them that bouquet,” Cisco added.

 

“See, was that so hard?” Lisa asked Mick smugly, prompting him to roll his eyes. Lisa proceeded to ignore everyone else in favour of flirting aggressively with Cisco.

 

“Sorry about this,” Mick apologised for them quietly, also ignoring the other three people in the room. 

 

“I really should have expected something like this when you bought it,” Caitlin waved it off with a shrug. 

 

“Still. This is the second time I've barged in here today when you're probably busy.”

 

“We were just finishing up, actually. And at least you've kept my day interesting.” That sweet, tentative smile just for her was back.

 

“Come on, it's Valentine's day, kiss her already!” They both jumped at Axel’s exclamation. He was once again sitting on the counter, looking  for all the world like he should be holding a bucket of popcorn, practically riveted.

 

“You better shut up before I fire you,” Mick hissed, and Caitlin was pleasantly surprised to see heat rise in his cheeks. Axel just cackled.

 

“Wait til I tell her -ughf!” Mick lunged, cutting Axel off with a big hand over his mouth. The sudden movement dislodged a scrap of paper from his pocket and Caitlin bent to pick it up automatically.

 

“Red camellias?” she murmured, frowning down at the doodle. She looked curiously at Mick, who looked mortified, still with his hand over a clearly grinning Axel.

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Why red camellias?” Caitlin had a suspicion niggling in the back of her brain, but she dared not hope until it was confirmed.

 

“I...did some research. About flower language. For...a project.” Axel tried to add something, but it came out a muffled mess behind Mick’s hand.

 

Caitlin couldn't stop herself from smiling if she tried. “So you know what they mean?” He swallowed a little thickly and nodded. She held the scrap of paper out to him and he finally released Axel to take it back. “These are really realistic. I bet the finished project will look amazing.”

 

“You wanna see it?” Mick seemed surprised by his own question.

 

“I’d like to, if you don’t mind,” she answered shyly, nervously tucking her hair behind an ear. He jerked his head towards the door and she hastily removed her apron and tossed it on the counter, following him out the door before Axel could make another lewd comment. Cisco could handle locking up. Hopefully.

 

Mick led her next door to his parlour and she could immediately see the difference. An area had been sectioned off, sheets of plastic that had probably been hanging in front of that wall earlier now covering the furniture around it. The phoenix on that wall was as beautiful and intricate as she remembered, but the area beside and beneath it where there had once been dancing flames was changed. Caitlin stepped forward for a closer look, enthralled. Now, the phoenix sprang from a bed of blood red camellias. They were shown as being blown from a woman’s palms, and even though it wasn’t even close to finished, Caitlin understood what Lisa meant by resemblance.

 

“I know it’s probably kind of weird,” Mick muttered sheepishly, his shoulders hunched and his arms crossed a little defensively. “ I wasn’t even gonna do this much, I just…” he sighed, his eyes on his half-finished artwork. “...got inspired. I can change it, if you’re not ok with it-”

 

“No, don’t!” Caitlin surprised herself with her own outburst. “It’s...is that really how you see me?” The woman on the wall had a burning aura to her, something strong and powerful and sexy that Caitlin wished she saw in herself.

 

“Yes,” Mick answered simply, as though it was obvious, as though that was the way he expected the rest of the world to see her.

 

“And the camellias?” she asked a little hopefully, taking a step towards him.

 

“The meaning seemed fitting.” He mimicked her movement, both slowly closing the distance between them. 

 

“‘You are a flame in my heart’,” she recited the meaning with a coquettish smile. “Definitely works for the phoenix.” Another step.

 

“And for you.” His words were a whisper, but they were so close now there was no way she would miss them. Caitlin could help but duck her head as she blushed, but was stopped by a gentle hand cupping her jaw.

 

“Are you gonna take your friend’s advice?” she teased lightly. He smiled that sweet, wicked smile.

 

“Well, in the spirit of the holiday…”

 

It was unclear which of them actually moved, but Caitlin would never forget the first press of their lips, the heat spreading through her as every one of her senses was flooded by him. As the sensations overwhelmed her, Caitlin found herself thinking that she might be a fan of Valentine’s Day after all.

 

They didn’t break apart until they were interrupted by the loud catcalls of their respective employees in the doorway.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where Axel came from, he just kind of highjacked my brain.


End file.
